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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2016)
Departed veterans — 5A Wheels still in motion at Rainy Peak, page 11A Memorial Day message — 3A Free Fishing Weekend — 6A Baseball's big fi nish, page 1B $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2016 SOUTH LANE AND NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY'S MOST AWARD-WINNING NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1889 Council discussion of pot 'buffer zones' to continue M EMORIAL D AY 2016 Ceremony salutes sacrifi ce City Attorney to examine CG's options with regard to recreational marijuana retailers BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel T he Cottage Grove City Council is expected to explore the option of creating “buffer zones” around its schools and parks, zones that would be free of marijuana-related businesses, at an up- coming meeting. At its Monday, May 23 meeting, City Attorney Carrie Connelly told the Council that she could explore the City’s options for creating “buffer zones,” citing public comment received that evening indicating an interest in them. “We can develop something if you think you might want to go down that road,” Connelly said. “Is there some interest in knowing your options? The concern is that we have to legislate something like this uniformly.” The notion of “buffer zones” became prominent in the local conversation on May 18, when the Cottage Grove Plan- VOLUME 128 • NUMBER 49 ning Commission examined a conditional use permit for a marijuana processing fa- cility whose owners wished to convert a vacant lot across from Bohemia Park. The Commission approved the permit with conditions related mostly to developing the lot, which angered some of the site’s neighbors. “We have received a number of submit- tals in opposition to the proposal, and the principal reason is that it is located right across the street from a park,” City Plan- ner Amanda Ferguson told the Commis- sion. “It’s about the children,” neighbor Mickey Pattingale said during the ensu- ing public hearing. “This kind of business does not belong next to a family park.” “This kind of business is degrading to our park,” Bruce Stewart said. “Nobody wants to donate to a park across from a dope facility.” BY SAM WRIGHT The Cottage Grove Sentinel L ast week, the Cottage Grove mu- seum hosted a pre-Memorial Day celebration that featured a speech by Jona- thon Landon, a U.S. Army Chaplain. The speech focused on raising awareness for the true meaning of Memorial Day and that it should be about honoring fallen ser- vice members instead of celebrated as a photo by Sam Wright day off work. But it was apparent Cottage Grove Boy Scout Troop 140 led a processional parade from the needed no lesson on how to commemorate CG Armory, site of this year's Memorial Day ceremony, military members in the community who to the Centennial bridge. They were followed by cyclists with the American Legion Riders. Please see CEREMONY, Page 11A Please see BUFFER, Page 10A Aid for farm stand discussed BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel T he owner/operator of a Cottage Grove-based farm stand said that a push for heightened marketing of the busi- ness is planned for its future. The Healing Matrix was the site of a meeting that brought interested individuals together to discuss the future of the Coast Fork Farmstand at the corner of 10th and Washington streets on Tuesday, May 24. Farmstand owner Scott Burgwin shared a positive outlook from the meeting, in which a marketing push, fundraising to up- grade the stand’s infrastructure and other needs were discussed. Burgwin has operated the stand at vari- ous locations around town for almost seven years; it moved to its current home in late 2014. The building’s owners recently up- graded parking there. Business had been steady until about last December, Burgwin said, after which sales steadily dropped. He said he’s unsure why that happened. “We’re trying to address how to reverse that trend,” he said. A new produce cooler should provide a way to keep veggies and fruits cool dur- ing the upcoming warmer summer months. Recent donations are also expected to help bring the stand’s inventory back to previ- ous levels, and Burgwin said a change in organizational structure could provide an even bigger lift. “I’ve always wanted this to move in the direction of a cooperative,” he said. Burgwin said he just extended the farm stand’s lease through July and hopes that a rebound in business could warrant another extension. photo by Jon Stinnett Sailboats were some of the watercraft used to ply the waters of a quite-full Dorena Reservoir on Memorial Day weekend. More summertime temperatures are expected this week. Proposed airport welcome center aims to aid tourism economy Funds are being raised to construct building where its predecessor once stood BY JON STINNETT The Cottage Grove Sentinel F courtesy photos A new airport welcome center (drawing inset) is planned for construction at the site of a previous building (pictured). ans of the “hundred-dollar hamburger” are among the targets for a building planned to help draw more tourism to Cottage Grove. Pilots and their passengers who land at Cottage Grove’s Airport are currently welcomed by a porta- potty and little else upon their ar- rival here. A group of pilots and aviation enthusiasts, however, is hoping that a new welcome cen- ter at the Airport, which will aim to function as both a pilot pit stop and tourist information center, can entice pilots to stay a little longer. Nadine Kelley of the Airport’s welcome center committee ex- plained that the “hundred-dollar hamburger” refers to pilots’ affi n- ity for fl ying their planes to certain locales just for a meal and a quick look around. “We like to fl y somewhere and eat,” she said. “There’s a restaurant right next to the airport in Indepen- dence, and it’s full of pilots all the time.” Kelley said, though, that the lack of amenities at the Cottage Grove Airport doesn’t exactly encourage an extended stop here. “What greets them now is a porta-potty,” Kelley said. “And what does that say about Cottage Grove? People don’t come back if that’s all there is to welcome them, especially if they’re male pilots fl ying with their wives. A welcome center could be a big help to our economy, because Cottage Grove has a lot to offer its visitors.” The Airport recently requested and received a waiver of the esti- mated $4600 in fees and permits it will need to build a new welcome center from the City of Cottage Grove, which will pay the fees from its contingency funds. The City is currently engaged in an on- going effort to annex the Airport from Lane County, with bringing city services such as water seen as one of the major benefi ts of an- nexation. “Because there has been no wa- ter, people don’t want to build in Cottage Grove,” Kelley said. “At Please see WELCOME, Page 11A Rain Country Realty Inc. NE TING S I L W On Hidden Valley Golf Course, Amazing custom home with 3 bedrooms, 2.1 bath. CH R O P D E CO V E R WEATHER Broker Valerie Nash ....................521-1618 Licensed in the State of Oregon CONTENTS HIGH LOW 91 57 Sunny Teresa Abbott ..................221-1735 Frank Brazell....................953-2407 Lane Hillendahl ................942-6838 Cottage Style home, 3 bd, 1 bath, non through street. Recently updated, new roof and garage. ONLY... CONTACT US www.cgsentinel.com On the Internet (541) 942-3325 By telephone (541) 942-3328 By fax cgnews@cgsentinel.com By e-mail P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 By mail Corner of Sixth and Whiteaker, Cottage Grove In person Principal Brokers Calendar....................................... 11B Channel Guide ............................... 5B Classified ads................................. 7B Obituaries....................................... 2A Opinion .......................................... 4A Public Safety .................................. 5A Sports ............................................ 1B 1 Dollar